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Umbral Hold
Umbral Hold Neutral Evil Large City (South) Corruption +1; Crime +1; Economy +1; Law +2; Lore +2; Society +4 Qualities defiant, insular, mythic sanctum, no questions asked, strategic location Danger 10; Disadvantages heavily taxed Demographics Government autocracy Population 20,000 (7,000 fetchlings, 5,000 humans, 3,000 elves, 1,000 halflings, 1,500 half-elves, 1,000 tengu, 1,500 other) Notable NPCs Shadowlord Xokur (LE male old fetchling oracle (bones mystery) 15/heirophant 5) General Tukrovv Donarus (LE male half-elf fighter (two-handed fighter archetype) 12/ranger (urban ranger archetype) 3) Councilor of the Hold Ovuurani Donarus (LN middle-aged female elf wizard (universalist) 9/aristocrat 1) Rebel Leader Korizunra (CG female tengu oracle (battle mystery) 7/ninja 4) Crime Hunter Orbraa (NE female minotaur barbarian (invulnerable rager archetype) 6) Herald of Chains Eroxta (LE middle-aged female fetchling cleric of Khaivara 13) Marketplace Base Value 8,000 gp; Purchase Limit 25,000 gp; Spellcasting 5th Minor Items 4d4; Medium Items 3d4; Major Items 1d6 In the Valley of the Hidden, a stretch of mountains with various wide paths so deep that sunlight rarely passes into, lives the little known city of Zkriier (an Alko term roughly translated to "kingdom"), better known though in legend as the Umbral Hold, named for its unique placement in one of the middle sections of the mountains that connect all of the larger paths together. Originally nothing more than a large, well hidden fetchling city that provided information of the well known trading cities of the south, it stood for nearly 20 years with relatively little happening; many traders of the fetchlings were born and raised here, and they feel like this city, despite being on the Material Plane, is relatively similar to their origin of the Shadow Plane. It was originally ran by a mayor voting system, with the main focus on the politics being on the economy, trading, and preventing and punishing those who commit crimes. However, during one voting session, the candidates were suddenly found to be assassinated-rather brutally, as they were portrayed in the city with spikes impaled in their bodies, and hanging from walls with chains embedded in their eyes-a practice of fetchling worshipers of Khaivara to humiliate ones enemies. Fear started to spread through the city, as no one could identify who was this assassin. He soon revealed himself, as the self-proclaimed lord of the Hold-the Shadowlord Xokur, a fetchling who had disappeared from the city roughly 14 years ago due to mysterious circumstances. Having returned to the Shadow Plane, and venerating Khaivara, he went into the Inner Sea region and began to draw a cult following in a unique form of worship-unlike most followers of Khaivara, Xokur and his cult venerate their goddess for giving strength by feeding off of the fear of their enemies. Without a true councilor, the city attempted to go into protesting, with some of the more ill-tempered and impatient members attempting to assassinate the Shadowlord. One such assassin was Lotaricca, a tengu ninja who's grandparents had followed the original founders of the city as bodyguards. Enraged that the city her ancestors helped build is being overruled by a tyrant, she sneaked into his home with full intent on poisoning him. What she didn't realize was that he could quickly turn the shadows against her-for he had the power of a heirophant, meaning that his worship had rewarded him with nearly god-like powers. The next day, Xokur proved his mythic strength to the population by using the shadows to hunt down and mutilate a good number of the protesters who wished him dead-all in front of the entire population. A large number of these were tengu, but both elves and humans also ranked in the murder. As another form of punishment for this act, the tengu were moved to the Everdark Allies, an abandoned lower section of the city that serves as part catacombs, part dungeon, and part slum, while the majority of the elves, half-elves, halflings and humans were enslaved, while only a few selected high ranking fetchlings were immune to a law that forced a good number of the fetchling population into a low class position in society. Why the halflings, who were mainly innocent in these protests, became so heavily punished is a mystery, though many claim that the Shadowlord is a pure racist, even to his own kind. He also enlisted a law that allowed some of the monstrous residents of the city's abandoned sections-dark nagas, minotaurs, and vegepygmies-full rights as citizens, with most of the higher ranked aristocrats, soldiers, head merchants, and Darkland traders being from these monstrous races. However, despite this, Xokur was smart enough to know that he cannot always reveal himself to the public-he may be powerful, but he was far from immortal or invincible. Thus, he had his guards capture Ovuurani Donarus, a elven woman who was once a teacher to the wizard school before it was shut down and converted into a church of Zon-Kuthon. She despised the Shadowlord, for her human lover was one of the candidates assassinated by him, and spat a large number of profanities about him. The Shadowlord, however, played with her emotions as he made a deal-if she would become his speaker for his actions and laws, he would allow the church to convert a small building nearby into a new, abliet more restricted and heavily watched, wizard school; if not, he would have his guards assassinate every arcane spellcaster and their families in cold blood, including her half-elf son Turkovv Donarus who was only 10 at the time. Reluctantly, the elf agreed, but with the promise that she and her son would stay in the Shadowlord's building from protection against those who opposed him and his followers. He agreed, and the half-elf was protected from any harm; but within 30 years, she had discovered that while she was busy with Xokur's demands, the Shadowlord had her son trained into becoming the general of his guards. While she cannot do anything to stop her son from obediently following his demands of execution and hunting down the rebel group, she loathes the fetchling even more for brainwashing her son. What she doesn't know is that Turkovv is not brainwashed, but instead has accepted his role in the Shadowlord's command with a soul of iron and a heart of ice. The rebellion, a small group compromised of the entire tengu population (or what's left of it), as well as some elves, half-elves and humans who had escaped slavery and oppression. Their leader, Korizunra, is a tengu with a love of freedom, but a true hatred of corruption and shadows. Although he had hated the Shadowlord since he took control, it wasn't until his mother was murdered, and his people's population was either exterminated or exiled as punishment, is what made him wish for nothing more than the death of it's now heartless leader. Although many attempts at assassination have failed (either due to the Shadowlord itself or his followers), Korizunra is determined to believe that, one day, Xokur's confidence and bloodlust will leave him vulnerable. And when that day comes, the light shall break through the shadows. Category:Location Category:Settlement Category:South Category:Large City Category:Made by KoolKobold